Sunday after Ascension-day.

The Collect.

O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 St. Peter4:7-11

The Gospel: St. John 15:26-16:4a

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you." (ESV)

The inimitable G.K. Chesterton, one of the most quotable Christians of modern times, wrote: "Jesus promised his disciples three things -- that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble."  In today's Gospel lesson, Our Lord testifies that trouble will indeed come, persecution will be present, and indeed that some (many) of the people to whom He was speaking would die martyr's deaths.  They would have the Holy Spirit to strengthen them in the face of persecution, for that is the Helper to whom Christ refers.

Most of those reading this, located in the United States in 2008, will never have to face death for the cause of Christ.  We may, however, face persecution and it is certain that we will face trials and tribulations.  Thanks be to God that the same Spirit empowers and sustains us at those times!